Blog
“Bankruptcy & Divorce – Part II”
BANKRUPTCY & DIVORCE - PART II In my prior post, I discussed the ability of a married couple to make a joint bankruptcy filing, as long as they were still married as of the filing date. I also discussed some of the considerations that should be...
“Bankruptcy & Divorce – Part I”
BANKRUPTCY & DIVORCE - PART I One of the principal causes of divorce is disputes over money and financial matters. Unfortunately, these problems are usually exacerbated when a Complaint for Divorce is filed, as in most cases, one of the...
MIChildSupport Website
The Kent County Friend of the Court reports that MiChildSupport is a website that parents can use to access information about their child support case, to apply for child support services, to pay their child support and to calculate child support amounts...
What Happens If I Die Without A Will?
According to recent statistics, over 60% of adult Americans will die without having executed a Will. (Probably the most famous was Abraham Lincoln, and he was a lawyer!). Many people ask me: “What happens if I die and don’t have a Will”? This...
An Urban Myth About a Child Selecting a Home
Myth: At a particular age, some say twelve years old, a child in a custody dispute gets to decide for themselves where and with whom they want to live. Truth: Under current Michigan law, children are not allowed to choose where or with whom...
“Shades of Gray” is Applicable to Grand Rapids Area Divorces
As baby boomers age it has become more common to see people who may be approaching retirement age consider divorce. There are likely a number of different reasons for this, some of which are obvious and not surprising. People are living longer and healthier lives...
COMMON ESTATE PLANNING ALTERNATIVES – AND WHY YOU SHOULD NOT USE THEM
Many people defer on doing anything estate planning-wise, as they do not like to think about the prospect of death, particularly their own death. In the end they die “intestate” (without a will), or they may have taken some interim steps to dispose of some of their...
Will vs Trust
Quite often I am asked by clients: What is the difference between a Will and a Trust? They also inquire as to the advantages and disadvantages of each. Below are some of my responses. SIMILARITIES: As a start, let’s take a look at how they are similar. Both a...
Homestead Property Tax Relief for Disabled Veterans
On November 13, 2013, that State of Michigan enacted certain statutory provisions that eliminated real property taxes on property used as a homestead for disabled American veterans, who had received an honorable discharge. In order to obtain such exemption, an...
Portability Election – There Really is a Second Bite at the Apple!”
In a surprise announcement, the IRS has recently declared, in Revenue Procedure 2017-34, effective June 9, 2017, that there is now an extended time for estates to file for portability and preserve the unused spousal exclusion. This applies to estates where there is a...
The Bankruptcy Discharge (Part II): What Can Jeopardize it?
In my prior post, I discussed what it means to get a discharge, what debts are typically covered, and what debts you may not be able to discharge if it is necessary to keep certain secured property. In this article, I will discuss what actions may possibly preclude...
The Bankruptcy Discharge (Part I): What is It and What Debts Are Covered?
Most people file bankruptcy in order to obtain a discharge of their liability on most debts. (Note that the discharge provisions only apply to individuals). A discharge means that the legal liability on a debt has been extinguished and no legal action can,...